I am just curious to know why people call on Ghost hunters. From what Ive read and seen, all that they do is tell people that their house is haunted or not(when it's obvious that the people who called on them already know their house is haunted) and offer advice that they have already heard from other people whom aren't even experts. I am just trying to understand the ghost hunting hype. I get that it can be fun and informative to see what is causing the disturbances in their homes, but can't they just go out and buy an audio tape recorder and video camera of their own and do it themselves?

DISCLAIMER: please if you are a ghost hunter do not be offended. I am not calling you useless. I am just curious.

Interests:Paranormal happenings...and being able to discuss odd things without people running at you with a straight jacket!!<br /><br />Places I've had the luxury of investigating:<br /><br />Waverly Hills (Louisville, Kentucky)<br />Moundsville State Pen (West Virginia)<br />Prospect Mansion (Ohio)

Posted 06 February 2008 - 02:39 AM

Very interesting question Sara! Sure, they can go out and get their own equipment and conduct their own investigation! There is no exact science to the methods of ghost hunting! I think people call on us ghost hunters partly because even though they are curious as to what is going on, they are still hesitant, and some are even scared of what they might hear if they did the EVP themselves. I also believe that some people don't think they have the knowlege it takes to do this sort of thing. (which is a silly notion in my opinion..it's not rocket science after all! lol) Maybe it's easier to stay detached to the situation? I really don't know, but I'm glad you asked this question! I'm curious to the opinions of others on this!!

Thanks Aloha!!!The MAN on the cover of GQ that is in my profile pic is the LOVE of my life!

I think most people that call people to investigate their homes because of many reasons, some call because they want someone to validate their belief, scared, afraid and I agree with Jazzy, I guess they want some people with experience in paranormal investigations that have delt with ghosts/ unexplained events.

DISCLAIMER: please if you are a ghost hunter do not be offended. I am not calling you useless. I am just curious.

I not even sure what the term "ghost hunter" means ...I don't consider any of the shows such as Ghosthunters and TAPS anything but amusing. it's like watching a senior trying to operate a DVD player. (jmo)

I think people call in papranormal investigators because they are afraid or curious they need to know they aren't hearing/seeing things. A lot of people like validation that are indeed these noises and experiences going on around them and it is not just their imagination. I also believe that we can help entities move on sometimes --not always. I had a few entities in my home that were wreaking havoc and the people I called were able to get them to move on.

I am just curious to know why people call on Ghost hunters. From what Ive read and seen, all that they do is tell people that their house is haunted or not(when it's obvious that the people who called on them already know their house is haunted) and offer advice that they have already heard from other people whom aren't even experts. I am just trying to understand the ghost hunting hype. I get that it can be fun and informative to see what is causing the disturbances in their homes, but can't they just go out and buy an audio tape recorder and video camera of their own and do it themselves?

For one, most people are afraid of what they don't know, and let's face it...anything paranormal is a BIG question mark to many people.

Another thing I think is quite common is for people to want proof...they don't want others to think they're crazy and they may even be having doubts about their own sanity. I'm a huge skeptic myself so I'm not sure I would even believe it if things started happening around me that other people thought was obviously paranormal. But if you have someone come in and run a full-scale investigation and find all kinds of evidence, at least you're able to say "my house MIGHT be haunted, because these things happened without any logical explanation". (And btw, most people don't own an audio tape recorder and many don't own a video camera.)

In any case, the number one job of a paranormal investigator is to provide information to the client. They go in to assess the situation and maybe even to give a few ideas about how to deal with it (i.e. ignoring it, house blessing, vocalizing your desire for it to leave, etc.).

"Ghost hunting" is obviously not an exact science, and I'm sure that there isn't one group out there that can say they have all the information, but it's a start. It's a way to begin to deal with a problem that many people face from day to day. And I'm sure that there are clients out there who are thankful for the fact that someone has at least TRIED to help them...whether or not they were successful. If the group has done nothing else for the client, at the very least it has given them an understanding ear.

Sorry this ran so long, but I got on a roll! lol These are just my opinions on the subject and I'm sure there are several different ones out there.

I am in agreement with all the above villagers, with one difference....I do believe there is a big difference between a "Ghost Hunter" and a "Paranormal Investigator." My belief is that a ghost hunter is just looking for ghosts for fun. An Investigator (which is what Dave and I go by) take a little different approach such as using validation techniques...history, electronic equipment, and personal encounters. A "ghost hunter" is just looking for a ghost...as an investigator we look into trying to prove or disprove anything above the normal (Para, means above) with all means possible. Julie

You know our love was meant to be, the kind of love that lasts foreverAnd I want you here with, from tonight until the end of time,You're the meaning in my life, You're the inspiration,You bring feeling to my life, You're the inspiration,No one needs you more than I need you...You're the Inspiration~ChicagoI Love You, Baby!Julie and Dave are "The Spirit Stalkers of Ohio"www.thespiritstalkersofohio.webs.comCome see what we are all about, our galleries of evidence, and we would love for you to sign our guest book!

Our clients are usually frightened. They are confused and wonder if they're losing their minds and scared for their kids or themselves.

What we do is validate whether there is someone there or not. We then attempt to communicate with whoever's there and, if the homeowner wants it, we try to convince the person to move on and out (if it is, indeed, a haunting rather than someone's grandma popping in to say she loves them). We also will return until everyone's happy with the situation at hand.

Validation calms a lot of people down a LOT... that, in fact, the man they're seeing in the middle of the night is the man that we're seeing and we've got the guy's voice on tape (it really puts a much more human perspective on it if we can get an EVP). It's a very big thing to worry that you're crazy and have validation that you're not. But, since we do cleansings, we do also offer a service that people get value out of (most of the time... nothing in life is guaranteed).

And yeah... ghost hunters are people who trespass in cemeteries and abandoned buildings without a lot of regard for private property or the ghosts. I'm a paranormal investigator and researcher.

I am in agreement with all the above villagers, with one difference....I do believe there is a big difference between a "Ghost Hunter" and a "Paranormal Investigator." My belief is that a ghost hunter is just looking for ghosts for fun. An Investigator (which is what Dave and I go by) take a little different approach such as using validation techniques...history, electronic equipment, and personal encounters. A "ghost hunter" is just looking for a ghost...as an investigator we look into trying to prove or disprove anything above the normal (Para, means above) with all means possible. Julie

Agreed! (Though I often use the terms interchangably, when I do it's because the person I'm talking to knows what I mean and I just like using the work "hunter" sometimes ...it sounds so cool...lol.)

I think the titles need to be changed all around, the obsolescence of these terms (ghosthunters, paranormal investigators )is going to become apparent as the popularity of the latest batch of paranormal shows wears off, again I don't watch the shows so cannot fairly judge them even though I feel they are the harbinger of the latest stigmas to be applied to hard working, self regulated "researchers"

Well, thank you all for your responses, a lot of them made sense to me. I guess their probably are people whom are afraid to investigate themselves, and find it easier to just call someone in. I however believe that I will never need to do so. I myself find it fun to investigate every once in a while, but that is in my own home.

It is a great question and I am along the same lines as Juliet. I hate when people call me a "ghost hunter". I am a paranormal investigator or a paranormal researcher. People call us in because we are professional, we have experience (combined 60 years between our top three officers), because we can help find answers and solutions to problems that are going on. I mean, quite honestly the list goes on.

And to lizard: Labels are labels. People are going to use the latest buzzwords to get recognition. Paranormal investigators is NOT a buzzword that came from a TV show. It's what serious people who research paranormal activity are called. People will argue, "WHo cares, ghosthunters, paranormal investigators etc...all mean the same thing." And I always ask...what is a deer hunter? What is a bear hunter? What is a ghost hunter? enough said.

And sara: not a knock on you, but people who do this for fun are what I call hobby hunters. These people don't know what to do when the *bleep* hits the fan.

And sara: not a knock on you, but people who do this for fun are what I call hobby hunters. These people don't know what to do when the *bleep* hits the fan.

That is why I never go out of my home to Investigate strange going ons. I just simply don't stir the "bleep" pot to cause problems in my home, and it is fun. I don't make a passion out of it. I only investigate when the spirit in my home gets fussy, and it does tend to settle the spirit down. I am not a self proclaimed "ghosthunter" or, Paranormal investigator, nor am I a "hobby hunter" or any of the alike . I just find it easier to do it myself than to invite strangers into my home, who could do more damage than good at times or who could be more of a problem to me than the spirit itself.